Hulk-like actor-turned politician, he is best known for his roles in sci-fi action/thrillers and for booting California governor Gray Davis out of office. Schwarzenegger immigrated to the United States in 1968 after winning several European body-building championships. He won the Mr. Universe title five times and Mr. Olympia six consecutive times. He first came to Hollywood's attention in the documentary Pumping Iron (1977) and has appeared in Conan the Barbarian (1982), The Terminator (1984), its sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Eraser (1996), Jingle All the Way (1996), Batman & Robin (1997), and The 6th Day (2000). He is an owner of the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain and is married to Kennedy family member and TV journalist Maria Shriver.

In Oct. 2003, he was elected governor of California on the Republican ticket. Voters approved the recall of Gray Davis and overwhelmingly elected Schwarzenegger over the 134 other candidates. Californians, frustrated with their state's tattered economy and Davis's inability to mend it, put their faith in the action hero who vowed to terminate the whopping $3 billion budget deficit.